Sweden alleges Iran sent thousands of texts inciting revenge following Quran burnings.
Swedish officials have revealed that a cyberattack on a major messaging service was carried out by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Authorities in Sweden confirmed that Iran hacked into the messaging service and sent thousands of text messages inciting revenge for the 2023 Quran burnings.
The attack, which targeted a Swedish company running the SMS service, involved the IRGC sending 15,000 text messages in Swedish following the Quran burnings in August 2023, as reported by officials in Stockholm.
A preliminary investigation by SAPO, Sweden’s domestic security agency, identified the Iranian state, through the IRGC, as the perpetrators of the data breach.
The company involved was not named, and Tehran has not responded to the accusations made by Sweden.
Swedish media published a text message that decried Swedes as “demons” and called for those responsible for the Quran desecration to be punished.
No blasphemy law in Sweden prohibits the burning or desecration of religious texts like the Quran.
The Quran burnings led to increased tensions in Sweden and Muslim communities, prompting the country to raise its terrorism alert last year.
The incident also complicated Sweden’s efforts to join NATO, with Turkey initially blocking their accession due to anti-Turkish and anti-Islamic sentiments in Sweden. However, Sweden eventually became a NATO member after Turkey dropped its objections.
Iran’s supreme leader condemned the Quran desecration in Sweden, leading to further animosity towards those responsible for the act.
SAPO’s operational manager noted that the text messages aimed to portray Sweden as Islamophobic and create division in society, pointing to foreign powers exploiting vulnerabilities to increase aggression.
The Justice Minister and domestic security agency in Sweden have expressed concerns over Iran’s activities in the country, accusing them of using criminal networks for malicious purposes.
While the preliminary investigation has been closed, Swedish officials have not ruled out reopening the probe if new evidence surfaces. They highlighted the challenges of prosecuting foreign actors like those believed to be behind the cyber breach.
This report contains contributions from The Associated Press.
